By John F. McKenna (McJack): World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao (53-3-2, 38 KO’s) will begin training in the third week of September for his 3rd fight with WBO/WBA/Ring lightweight champion Juan Manuel Marquez (53-5-1, 39 KO’s).

Pacquiao and Marquez will have their Trilogy on November 12 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Manny will travel to the Philippines’ Summer Capital in Baguio City for the first phase of his two month training regimen.

Pacquiao trainer Freddie Roach and physical conditioning trainer Alex Ariza will arrive at the Baguio training camp and train with Manny for three weeks before flying back to the United States for the final phase of Manny’s training. Roach had previously voiced concerns that there were too many distractions in the Philippines and he wants to spend more time with the Philippine icon at his Wild Card Gym. Roach feels that he is better able to control the distractions there than at Manny’s Philippine training camp.

The Baguio training camp is a permanent part of Manny’s training regimen. The cool climate and high altitude there have played a major part in Pacquiao’s excellent physical condition. Baguio also makes the transition to California an easy one.

Many boxing writers and fans think that Manny will easily roll over Marquez who will be 38 years old by the time the fight takes place. In their first match in 2004 Pacquiao and Marquez fought at 126 pounds and the fight ended in a controversial draw. In the second fight at 130 pounds Manny wound up winning by a razor thin margin and again it was controversial. Since their last fight Manny has added a significant amount of weight by packing on muscle, while at the same time maintaining his explosive speed and power.

Marquez age and Pacquiao’s bigger size are the chief reasons that many think Manny will not have as rough a time as he did in their first two encounters.

Pancquiao and Roach want desperately for Manny to have a convincing win over Marquez and to settle the issue once and for all as to who the better fighter is. One of Roach’s chief duties as a trainer is to guard against overconfidence and complacency, not so much with Manny, but with Team Pacquiao. Freddie Roach knows full well how complacency can undermine a training camp and cause the most motivated of fighters to lose focus of the task at hand.